Another good title for Beyond the Call would be The Santa Claus 3, if only it didn't sound too similar to a very different movie scheduled for release later this year. Nonetheless, Beyond the Call is a perfeclty fine name for Adrian Belic's extraordinary documentary about three old men -- occasionally with white beards -- traveling the world with presents. Unlike Santa, they don't travel just once a year and they don't cover all of the earth in one mission. Also, instead of toys, they give out food, medical supplies, clothing and blankets. Sometimes, though, they bring something like a solar-powered oven, which certainly looks like a big toy.

Meet Ed Artis, Jim Laws and Walt Ratterman, aka Knightsbridge, a three-man humanitarian organization that provides aid to needy people, one impoverished country at a time. In the Tribeca Film Festival guide, the film's synopsis describes them as "part Mother Teresa and part Indiana Jones," which earned a few rolled eyes from the Cinematical staff at first. Well, wouldn't you know their interpretation is spot-on? Sure, they don't recover artifacts or fight Nazis, but their role is just as much adventurous as it is altruistic.

One of the big questions that went through my head first was, "Where does the money come from?" Some of the materials are donated, and the guys receive an 80-90% discount on medical supplies, but the expense of each trip appears to be high; at one point they pay for truckloads of food out of a pouch filled with wads of $100-bills. Later they hand $2,000 cash to an Afghan school that can't pay its teachers. The documentary isn't completely clear about how this cardiologist, construction company owner, and retired mortgage banker can work so rarely at home and devote so much time and money abroad, except to point out that while others are saving up for a boat or for retirement, they save up for the next mission. It is probably that simple, and of course, it doesn't really matter how they're able to do it -- they do it.

Beyond the Call shows them doing it throughout Afghanistan, where they planned to go even before 9/11; in the southern Philippines, where they help the U.S. military acquire medical equiptment for cheap; it shows them trying to do it on the Burmese border of Thailand. They claim to have no fear of death, because, as Artis puts it, a spreadsheet of his life comes out far more positive than negative. Artis admits one fear, however: being kidnapped; the idea of someone telling his wife, "We've got him," is the worst-case scenario he can think of. Although Knightsbridge travels through a lot of dangerous territory, Belic doesn't capture anything too intense (see Shadow of Afghanistan for that kind of film), which is okay. It is hard enough viewing the people already affected by war and poverty.

Beyond the Call is an extremely inspiring film that is also hilarious, exciting and heartwrenching. Not only are the three men unbelievably good willed, they are enjoyable characters filled with loveable quirks and wonderful stories to tell. I'd say someone should give them a reality show -- the film will leave you craving more -- except I respect that this is probably all the attention they could want or need.

It was published almost 50 years ago, and has sold millions of copies. But only now is Ayn Rand's controversial individualist novel "Atlas Shrugged" about to become a movie starring Angelina Jolie.

Ed Hudgins, editor of the New Individualist, tells me that the screenplay adapting the 1,100-page epic novel is only a couple weeks away from completion. Production is set to begin next year with the release of the film in 2008.

Mr. Hudgins says fans of Atlas should be pleased that the adaptation is being authored by Randall Wallace, the scriptwriter for "Braveheart," Mel Gibson's epic tale of Scottish freedom fighters. "I was fascinated by Rand's book. It was original and provocative," Mr. Wallace told Daily Variety.

For her part, Ms. Jolie has told friends that she finds the character of Dagny Taggart the most powerful female role she can imagine playing. While Ms. Jolie adheres to conventional liberal politics, she is nonetheless a big fan of Rand's sweeping story-telling abilities.

Originally, the plan of producers Howard and Karen Baldwin was to follow the example of the makers of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings," and adapt Rand's sprawling work into a three-part movie. But they were finally convinced that the story should be seen at one sitting, albeit at great length. I guess that means that the speech by anti-collectivist hero John Galt -- which runs to 72 pages in the novel -- will have to be trimmed just a bit.

Who: From the brothers who brought you the Academy Award nominated GENGHIS BLUES comes the next great adventure....BEYOND THE CALL.What: PBS nationwide airing of BEYOND THE CALL on the award winning series INDEPENDENT LENS.Where: In your homeWhen: TOMORROW...Tuesday, January 23rd in the evening. Check local listings for exact time in your area. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/beyondthecallWhy: Because you will be inspired and entertained.Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDor-ovsKnE

Synopsis:In an Indiana Jones meets Mother Teresa adventure three middle-aged men, former soldiers and modern-day knights travel the world delivering life saving humanitarian aid directly into the hands of civilians and doctors in some of the most dangerous yet beautiful places on Earth, the front lines of war.

More than five years in the making; nearly a year of theatrical screenings, festival showings, standing ovations and many awards, the time has come for BEYOND THE CALL to have its big TV premiere! We are very excited that BEYOND THE CALL will air nationwide on PBS's award winning series INDEPENDENT LENS this Tuesday, January 23rd in the evening. Please check your local listings for exact time in your area. http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/beyondthecallThis will be the one-hour version. The language has been cleaned up so young people and those sensitive to naughty language can view safely.Rumor has it that BEYOND THE CALL will have additional airings on other days and times throughout this opening week (January 22 - 28), but they will be at odd hours. Check local listings.

Please keep your eyes open for the 35mm feature film version of BEYOND THE CALL, still doing the film festival circuit and theatrical run across the US and around the world through the spring, summer, and into the fall. I and the stars (Ed Artis, Jim Laws and Walt Ratterman) will try to make as many of the screenings as possible.

We are working diligently putting together the extras-packed BEYOND THE CALL DVD that will go on sale in mid February. It will be available on the film's website www.beyondthecallthemovie.com and www.wadirum.com. We are putting the finishing touches on the www.beyondthecallthemovie.com website. It will be up in time for the PBS airing. On the site you will be able to leave your email address so that we can contact you as soon as the DVDs are ready. We will not use your emails for any other reason. The initial production run of BEYOND THE CALL DVDs will be limited, so please sign up so you can be assured a DVD purchase as soon as it comes out.

Thank you so very much for your continued support and encouragement!Any and all assistance that you can offer to help get the word out about this nationwide PBS airing through your press, organizations, websites, bloggers, etc. contacts would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Independent Lens publicist Mary Lugo at lugo@negia.net or you can contact me directly.You can get in touch with the subjects of the film at http://www.kbi.org or http://www.onedollar4darfur.com.

WSJNot According to Script Hollywood gets shown up by pro-war YouTube videos and a didactic antiwar cat.

BY BRENDAN MINITER Friday, December 7, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST

The guns of war have fallen silent for Hollywood. Studio executives, who could once count on Americans filling theaters for just about any war movie they produced, are finding this year's war flicks to be a bunch of duds. "Lions for Lambs," Robert Redford's case against the war in Afghanistan, is a flop. It stars Mr. Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise and may not make back its $35 million price tag. Brian De Palma's "Redacted" played to empty seats. Even "The War," Ken Burns's much-anticipated World War II documentary that aired on PBS in September, met a less-than-explosive reception.

But Americans haven't lost their taste for war footage. They've just found a better place to see the type of war film they actually enjoy watching. Some of the hottest videos on YouTube are of actual battles that have taken place in Afghanistan and Iraq. This is footage that often hasn't made its way onto the nightly news or CNN--although some of it has--but it's largely unadulterated film that shows American soldiers in action, bringing the full weight of American military might to bear against the enemy. And in most of these films, it's clear who the enemy is.

Some of the are amateur productions and others are professionally produced, such as two films that have drawn about 700,000 viewers each: "Insurgent Snipers vs. U.S. Marines," put together by the History Channel, and "Iraq Marine Battle Fallujah." In the latter, U.S. Marines are seen assaulting Fallujah. The film, just 4 1/2 minutes, plays to the tune of Dire Straits' 1985 hit "Brothers in Arms," and is a better tribute to the men who fight the nation's wars that anything Hollywood has put out since John Wayne's 1968 film "The Green Berets." Another film, this one billing itself as "Iraq War (The Great Footage Ever!)," was posted in February and has already drawn more than 1.3 million viewers. It runs a little less than 10 minutes and features shots of U.S. military attack aircraft and U.S. Marines in Iraq. The Marines, who fill the final half of the film, are shown kicking in doors, burning photographs of Saddam Hussein, and blasting insurgents with seemingly every weapon in the U.S. arsenal. It's raw, upfront military aggression targeted at bad guys, interspersed with lighter moments of kicking soccer balls around with Iraqi children and training Iraqi soldiers. It too is compelling video.

Yet another film winning attention--"Battle on Haifa Street, Baghdad, Iraq"--was posted nine months ago and has been seen by more than 1.8 million viewers. In nearly three minutes of combat footage, viewers can watch a battle scene play out where American and Iraqi soldiers attack and appear to kill insurgents in urban Baghdad. Another short film--"U.S. Marines in Iraq Real Footage Warning Graphic"--plays to American rock music, runs just five minutes. It is an adrenaline rush all the way through and has been seen by some 1.1 million people.

Not every online film is pro-war. One, available here, is a 23-minute discussion of whether the Iraq war is illegal under international law. Narrated by a talking cat, it has been seen by more than 600,000 people. It's anyone's guess how many of them have actually been swayed by the cat's arguments.

Today cameras are ubiquitous and production software is easy enough to use that nearly any American with an interest in doing so can put together a film and post it online for public viewing. That many of the videos showing up on the Internet are just as or even more compelling to watch than what Tinsel Town throws up on the silver screen is both an indictment of Hollywood as well as an opportunity. It's of little mystery now what kind of war films consumers want to see. Most of them involve the good guys winning. Mr. Miniter is assistant editor of OpinionJournal.com. His column appears Tuesdays.

Saw Iron man 2 really enjoyed it. Then came across this article. In the New York Post

Little did Aaron Sorkin suspect, when he wrote the lefty drama "A Few Good Men," that the only thing anyone would ever remember about it was Jack Nicholsonís Col. Jessep speech, which Sorkin accidentally made more convincing than any liberal argument he ever offered: "Son, we live in a world that has walls and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. You want me on that wall ó you need me on that wall. My existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives."

Tony Stark -- hands off my businessIn "Iron Man 2," not only is Starkís existence grotesque to a prosecutorial senator in Washington even as he protects American lives, but the movie shows how much we need Tony Stark on another crucial wall ó the wall between private industry and statism. The movie is written by Justin Theroux, but ideologically it brings to mind a slightly older screenwriter ó Ayn Rand.

"Iron Man" shows its mettle early on when Tony is hauled before Congress to face down a snotty senator (Garry Shandling) who demands that he surrender his rights to Iron Man technology. Tony jokes that he isnít interested in "indentured servitude or prostitution," echoes Col. Jessup when he notes, "Iíd love to leave my door open, but this ainít Canada" and sternly informs the senator, "You want my private property. You canít have it." He adds, "Iíve successfully privatized world peace ... whatís wrong with these assclowns?"

Stark is threatened by the only force on earth comparable to his ó what Randís John Galt called "the unpredictable power of the arbitrary whims of hidden, ugly little bureaucrats."

"Iron Man 2" is thrillingly aware that todayís disputes about the role of government in business are as critical as Cold War arguments ever were. The film is to economics what "The Dark Knight" is to national security.

It even features the best Barack Obama joke yet to appear in a movie: A spoof of the "iconic" (to liberals) Shepard Fairey "HOPE" poster. This one has an illustration of the heavy-metal superhero with the simple legend, "IRON MAN."

Liberals may read this as an homage to their idol, but itís a wicked takedown ó because Iron Man is so obviously everything Obama isnít. He represents the profit-hungry corporation heedless of "responsibility," military saber-rattling rather than soothing placation, America first rather than just one of the pack, individualism rather than the committee and the community, the super-rich spending their money on toys rather than spreading the wealth ó and impish wit instead of sonorous self-importance. (Quick: Name the five funniest one-liners Obama ever delivered off the cuff. Okay, name even one.)

Mainly he states he predicted the stock market fall, the near collapse of our economy, and the sky rocketing debt and population explosion around the world does not portend well for the future of mankind.

I think it valid to question the expansion of human population across the globe on a relatively small planet that does not have infinite natural resources.

It is common sense we can't keep multplying forever. I agree the entire world could well be looked at as a ponzi scheme. We keep expanding and growing to maintain a level of growth.

So the big hollywood lib Speilberg is going to make a movie on Lincoln with Daniel Day Lewis cast as Abe.Of course the source is liberal historian Doris Goodwin Kearns ( the plagerizer) who wrote a book about Lincoln's cabinet.

Remember her and other liberal media types claiming that Obama picking his political adversary (Hill) and for his cabinet was just soooooLincolnesque?

Lincoln, well known long before Kearns was ever born or able to lift lines from others, picked political adverseries for his cabinet because he thought they were best suited for the job.

So of course the comparisons between Bama and Lincoln were all over the MSM.

So now Spielberg wants to give Bamster a boost?

Guess when this movie will come out?

End of 2012. Is this just a business ploy or also political? Probably both.

Anyone have any Oscar predictions for this coming year? Everyone seems to think that Natalie Portman has it in the bag for Black Swan - haven't seen it yet but I'm not really a fan of her acting so I don't know what to think about that.

Unfortunately it isn't just a matter of truth coming out. OF course he stole it. Of course he will lie. Of course many around him who have made money and have deals will be happy to lie. If one thinks that people with the technical know how to make a movie like this cannot also make "new" electronic evidence and back date it would be mistaken. Private investigators will likely be hired if not already and follow the acusers and his lawyers around. Don't think secretaries at the law firms can't be bought off (as well as the lawyers who would probably rather work for a billionaire rather than a ripped of poor artist) to supply all the info or help things diappear or get swithed. Supply someone with a key to get in and make a switcheroo with adjusted evidence. Even pay off copyright people. Think they won't get into your house or place of work. Think they can't bribe anyone around you to give them the inside info as to what you claim, what you have in evidence? Where it is, copies, etc.

Eavesdropping? The entertainment industry which cries foul everytime something of theirs is downloaded somewhere in the world does though they rip people off all day long. Politicians they can't or won't help you. They all get cuts donations, deals with the entertainers or get to meet with celebrities or have them sing at their fundraiser for free (promotional advertising for them).

It is nothing for them to hire full time people to go out and do these things. Even neighbors will do it to have a new fence put up or a roof fixed.

James Cameron is an idea stealing thief ... who ripped the story for "Avatar" from a science fiction nerd who once worked with Cameron's production company ... this according to a new lawsuit.

Cameron is being sued by a guy named Eric Ryder -- who claims back in 1997, he came up with a movie called "KRZ 2068" -- an "environmentally themed 3-D epic about a corporation's colonization and plundering of a distant moon's lush and wondrous natural setting."

Ryder claims the movie also involved "self-contained robotic exterior suits which house a single human operator" ... just like in "Avatar."

According to the suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Ryder claims his reps pitched the movie idea to Cameron's production company back in 1999 ... and it was so well received, they had multiple serious meetings with high ranking execs about the development of the project.

But Ryder claims in 2002, the company officially shut down the project -- telling him, "No one would go see an environmentally themed feature length science fiction movie."

So when "Avatar" hit theaters in 2009 ... and made bazillions ... Ryder was furious.

In his suit, Ryder alleges he complained to Cameron's people in 2009 -- but when they finally got back to him earlier this year, they told him to kick rocks, claiming J.C. had written the story before 1999.

Ryder says Cameron's people are lying -- claiming there are way too many similarities between the two projects -- including Ryder's idea for one of the characters to be played by Sigourney Weaver.

Ryder is suing for unspecified damages -- probably a bloody fortune.

Attempts to reach Cameron's people were unsuccessful.

1:30 PM PT: Reps for Fox and James Cameron just released a statement, claiming "the suit is baseless and we will vigorously defend our position."*****

Woof, Oh come off it ccp, Repub's don't like crooks in business anymore than anyone else does and they go after them all the time. Bernie Madoff ripped off anyone that gave him money and there were plenty of Repub's taken in just like Dem's. Besides that, this is not a political thread. P.C.

As the saying goes here in LA, "There's just two things not to like about Hollywood people; their face." It would not surprise me at all were the accusation against JC to be true; folks at that level of the game have a sense of entitlement and being beyond the rules that is hard to imagine.

Combine this with the fact that Hollywood is an industry whose highest ideal is acting. What is acting? It is to believably pretend that something not true is real. Ordinary people might call this lying. In other words, the industry has skillful lying as its highest ideal.

I have often spoken of how one of President Reagan's greatest preparations for the Presidency was having been the president of the Screen Actors Guild. If you can climb to the top of that snake pit of vipers, Washington is nothing.

At the complete other end of the spectrum is Martin Scorcese's "Hugo" to which we took our children this past weekend. Slow, thoughtful, no chase scenes, no cute smartass children, and ultimately quite powerful. Recommended!

At the complete other end of the spectrum is Martin Scorcese's "Hugo" to which we took our children this past weekend. Slow, thoughtful, no chase scenes, no cute smartass children, and ultimately quite powerful. Recommended!

People were more interested in his physique than his strongman's feats of strength. He made kinetiscopes for Edison and was part of the first marketing of these movies. Thus it could be argued he was the first "movie star". Within a few years movies that followed a theme like the Great Train Robbery of 1903 supplanted the earlier kinetoscope which just followed objects, animals, or people moving around but with no particular theme and projected the image into a viewer not a screen.

The ideal body for those into sculpting bodies in those days (late 1800s) were represented by the ancient statues of the Greeks and Romans or probably later Renaissance depictions of the same body types (for ex. statue of David). Sandow was the first person known to literally try to shape his body into the ideal Greek image:

Maybe itís actually a badge of honor ó after all Sharpton himself makes Bull Connor seem like Martin Luther King ó but the Rev Al has called me a racist because I am one of those (white!) Academy members who did not vote for Selma as an Oscar nominee. I cannot tell a lie. Heís right. Not only that, I did not vote for the movie for screenplay either, the only other category for which I can nominate, since I am in the writers branch.

Of course, it was a group accusation. Al didnít come to my house or anything, not that I would have let him in. But I do acknowledge my vote publicly, although itís a secret ballot taken online, known only to the Academy and fifty thousand North Korean hackers. On my behalf, I will say I only nominated three films (Birdman, Boyhood and The Imitation Game) instead of the permissible ten. Iím one of those elite snobs who thinks nominating ten films for best picture is the cinematic equivalent of grade inflation. (Also, Iím easily bored.)

Nevertheless, it was a bit depressing to wake up this morning to find myself accused of racism on the top of Drudge. I tried to tweet Matt the truth that I voted for Twelve Years a Slave last year ó I thought maybe heíd put something up ó but didnít get an answer. So Iím stuck.

But I have bad news for Al. Iím not going to pay him one penny to get one of his pseudo-papal absolutions saying Iím not really a racist (even though I was in the civil rights movement and a financial backer of the Black Panthers, to my ever-lasting shame). Heís going to have pay his millions of back taxes by himself when the Republicans take the presidency, as people like him and the jihadists are making it likely they will.

And as for Chris Rock, who is also complaining about the white skin privilege or whatever of the Oscar voting and general Hollywood behavior (mostly in excluding Chris Rock), I have news for him. Some years ago I wrote for and worked with his most famous predecessor in African-American comedy, a certain Richard Pryor. And Richard was wildly more talented than you, Chris. You see, some of us old white guys vote for talent and accomplishment, not skin color. I know that doesnít fit in with your narrative or whatever you want to call it, but as anyone who has worked in Hollywood knows, it all comes down to the olí box office-arooney. Blame whoever you want, but Pryor got them into the theater in his time like nobody else around. Chris Rock doesnít. End of story, whether youíre black, white or heliotrope.

Now back to Sharpton. The big deal on the Drudge Report this morning was a link to the Hollywood Reporter with a complaint that no acting awards for black people at the Oscars this year showed a lack of ďdiversity.Ē Sacrť bleu! Let me tell you what this old lefty thinks of ďdiversity.Ē Diversity IS racism. Itís the biggest shuck to come down the pike since, well, Al Sharpton. It divides people and turns them into objects, but thatís probably over your (meaning Alís) head, so Iíll leave it at that.

But I will add this. Iím shocked anybody cares who wins the Oscars anymore. At least Al Sharpton does, or says he does. We should be grateful for that.